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2 sheets- 'shet 1.

(No Model.)

0. PQPUR IE. CAPSULE: MAGHINE.

Patented Dec. 4', 1883.

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0; F. PURDI E. CAPSULE MAGHINE.

N0'.'289,780. Patented Dec. 4, 1883 MIA/8858 V dwz w CHARLES E. PURDIE, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, .BY MESNE nssron MENTS, TO FREDERICK A. HUBEL, or SAME PLACE.

CAPSULE-MACHINE.

EPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,780, dated December 4, 1883.

Application filed July 3, 1883. (No model.)

T 0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. PURDIE, of Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Dipping-Machines for the Manufacture of Gelatine Capsules; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference,being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention consists in the combination of devices and appliances hereinafter specified, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a device embodying my invention, showing parts in section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are separate views of some of the parts.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved dipping-machine for the manufacture of gelatine capsules. I accomplish this object by providing a horizontal shaft having radial arms, upon which arms the mold-plates may be secured, said shaft being secured to vertically-sliding bars actuated by a cam upon a cam-shaft, by means of which the mold-plates may be lowered into the gelatine and raised therefrom, and mechanism for giving to the mold-carrying shaft a half revolution when the sliding bars have reached their highest stroke.

I carry out my invention as follows:

As illustrated in the drawings, A and A represent two uprights of a frame, secured upon a suitable base, 13, said uprights having a suitable number of cross bars or braces, O. The uprights A and A are provided at their upper ends with suitable slots, a.

D and D'represent two vertical sliding bars. held in place at the top and bottom by means of suitable guides or casings, d and (1, upon the frame, said bars carrying at a suitable distance from the top a horizontal shaft, E, having its bearings therein.

E and E represent arms located upon said shaft, and constructed to receive a mold-plate, E upon their opposite ends. The moldsam'e, such as will enable othersplates may be secured upon said arms in any suitable manner-as, for instance, by means of spring-catches G and G, said catches adapted to be disengaged for the purpose of releasing and removing the plate by means of project ing studs 9 and g, secured upon the sliding bars, said studs preferably constructed with an angular edge. (Shown more particularly in Fig. 3.)

H is a sheave or end of the shaft E.

I is a rocking shaft, provided with suitable pulley located upon one bearings, I and I upon the uprights A and A,

said shaft being connected with the verticallysliding bars D D by means of elbow-j oints J and J. j is a suitable roller secured upon one of said elbows. The rocking shaft is preferably constructed with an adjustable weight, I adapted to suitably counterbalance the weight of the sliding bars D D with the mold-plates located upon the horizontal shaft E, the weight of which is suspended upon said rocking shaft.

K is the drivingshaft, supported in any proper manner, said shaft being provided at one end with a sheave or pulley, K, and at the other end with a pinion, is.

L is the cam-shaft, having its bearings in the uprights of the frame, said shaft provided at one extremity with a drive-wheel, L, adapted to mesh with said pinion, and at the other end with a cam, L", preferably constructed as shown in the drawings, and about which may travel the roller j.

' M is a central shaft, which supports the reservoir N, said reservoir adapted to contain water and to suspend within it an inner reservoir, N, containing gelatine. The central shaft, M, is constructed in such a manner that the reservoir may be raised and lowered as desired by means of a screw, M.

0 represents a gas-jet or other means by which the gelatine may be heated.

l? is a belt located upon the sheaves H and K, the construction being such that when the sliding bars are at their uppermost stroke said belt will properly engage with the sheave H and give half a revolution to the horizontal shaft E. A beltof exactly the right length will operate efficiently; or the belt may be elastic; or a belt-tightener may be used in connection therewith, in order to tighten it upon the sheave H at the uppermost stroke of the sliding bars.

To hold the horizontal shaft E from being turned while the sliding bars are lowered and raised until they have reached their uppermost stroke, I desire to provide any suitable mechanism for holding the said shaft in position until the uppermost stroke of said bars is reachedas, for instance, a spring-catch, h, secured to the sliding bar, and adapted to engage with and be disengaged from the sheave H, the said catch being released from engagement with the sheave at-the uppermost stroke of said bars by means of a stud, h, located upon one of the uprights of the frame. To more effectually accomplish this release of the catch at exactly this point, I prefer to construct the cam with a slight proj ection, as shown at l, by means of which the sliding bar will be given a sudden upward thrust to accomplish this purpose. The adjustment of the belt should be such that when the sheave H is released from the catch the shaft E will be caused to rotate until a half-revolution is given thereto, when the catch will again on gage with the sheave upon the opposite side and hold it in position.

The operation of the device is as follows: The mold-plates being secured upon the arms of the horizontal. shaft E, the device is set in operation by the driving-shaft by means of which the cam L is rotated and a corresponding motion communicated to the sliding bars through the intervening roller, 3', which is caused to travel about said cam. The cam is constructed of such a form that when the mold-plate is lowered into the gelatine it shall remain in such position for a suitable length of time, and begin to be raised therefrom slowly until it is raised sufficiently from the gelatine, when a more rapid upward motion is given until the mold-plates are lifted to the highest stroke of the sliding bars, at which point the catch h is disengaged from the sheave H, when the belt causes the rotation of the horizontal shaft upon which the mold-plates are secured until half a revolution is accomplished, when the catch h becomes re-engaged with the sheave H, and the shaft is again prevented from rotation while the plate is being lowered intothe gelatine and raised again therefrom. As the gelatine is lowered in the reservoir, the reservoir may be readily raised into suitable position by means of the screw M. The weight upon the rocking shaft assists materially in raising the sliding bars, making the operation much easier.

What I claim is 1. In a dipping-machine for the manufacture of capsules, the combination, with the horizontal shaft E, provided with suitable arms, E and E adapted to receive capsule mold-plates thereon, of the spring-catches G and G and means for operating said catches, substantially as described. 4

2. In a dipping-machine for the manufacture of gelatine capsules, the combination, with a suitable frame, of vertically-sliding bars and mechanism for reciprocating said bars, said bars carrying a horizontal shaft adapted to receive one or more mold-plates, and in addition thereto mechanism for rotating said shaft at the uppermost stroke of said sliding bars, and means for limiting the rotation of said shaft, substantially as described.

3. In a dipping-machine for the manufacture of gelatine capsules, the combination, with a suitable frame, of vertically-sliding bars, said bars connected by elbow-j oints to a rocking shaft, I, and in addition thereto a cam actuated by a cam-shaft adapted to reciprocate said sliding bars, substantially as described.

4. In a dipping-machine for the manufacture of gelatine capsules, the combination, with a suitable frame, of verticallysliding bars carrying a horizontal shaft adapted to receive one or more mold-plates, said bars connected by elbow-j oints to aweighted rocking shaft, a roller secured to one of said joints, and in connection therewith a cam actuated by a cam-shaft adapted to engage with said roller, the construction being such that as the cam is rotated said sliding bars will be reciprocated, substantially as described.

5. In a dipping-machine for the manufacture of gelatine capsules, the combination of a suitable frame, a reservoir, a central vertical shaft, the upper end of which supports the reservoir, mechanism for raising and lowering the shaft to raise and lower the reservoir, and means for heating the reservoir, substantially as described.

6. In a dipping-machine for the manufacture of gelatine capsules, the combination, with a suitable frame, of vertically sliding bars carrying a rotary shaft and adapted to receive one or more mold-plates, said shaft provided with a sheave, H, a cam actuated by a cam-shaft, whereby said sliding bars may be reciprocated, a driving-shaft adapted to drive the cam-shaft, said driving-shaft provided with a sheave, K, connected by a suitable belt with the sheave H, adapted to rotate the shaft upon which the mold-plates are supported at the uppermost stroke of the sliding bars, and mechanism for limiting the rotation of said shaft, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with a suitable frame, of one or more vertically-sliding bars having thereon a device for holding a plate of capsule-molds, witha cam-shaftjournaled in said frame, carrying one or more cams adapted to reciprocate said vertically-sliding bar or bars at varying speeds, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

CHAS. F. PURDIE.

Witnesses: N. S. WRIGHT, W. H. J AOKSON. 

